Teacher Develops PTSD From Attack By Student She Asked To Remove Gum

A teacher in England who asked a student to stop chewing gum was beaten so severely by the pupil that she acquired post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The victim, an instructor at an academy in the North-West region of England, was reportedly diagnosed with PTSD and depression after being attacked by a female student, the Telegraph reported Friday.

PTSD is a disorder that can develop after a person experiences a traumatic or dangerous event, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Symptoms include flashbacks from the incident, bad dreams, sweats and increased heartbeat.

The teacher endured a "prolonged assault" by a teenage girl who "flew into a rage," according to a report by the National Union of Teachers’ (NUT) obtained by the publication.

The NUT report, which highlights member’s compensation claims, revealed that the school never reported the altercation to authorities. The teacher filed a complaint herself and won a case against the student, who was found guilty of assault. She was awarded a £50,000 (approximately $61,629 USD) payout, the report stated, according to the publication.

The instructor sustained blows to the abdomen and suffered minor injuries, including bruising on her hand, before another staffer intervened, according to the report. The incident occurred when the teacher requested the student refrain from chewing gum ahead of a lesson and then banned her from entering the classroom.

An instructor in Illinois also received a PTSD diagnosis after being beaten by a group of students. In July 2012 it was revealed that Norma Brown was diagnosed with the disorder after students at West Side Elementary School punched and kicked her six years prior, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Brown asked a student to take off his hat in the lunchroom, which quickly escalated.

"I knew that if I fell to the ground they would stomp on me," she told the paper. "When you fall, you're dead meat."

Brown said she struggles with the disorder, which requires medication to help keep under control.

"Is this why I have these nightmares and can't sleep? Is this why I was having to take sleeping pills?" she said. "I was overeating. Having all kinds of bad thoughts. Wanting to hurt people. I'm not a pill taker. I hate taking drugs. But I'm on medication right now for anxiety. If I don't take it, it's on."